To Zanarkand
by Falcone
Summary: [Post 8! Finally] Tidus returns, Yuna is huanted by dreams, and a mysterious man connects them all together. Only Zanarkand has the answers...R&R!
1. You're Everything

** To Zanarkand**

**Author's Notes: **I was really disappointed with the ending of FFX-2. Even though everything worked out in the very end, Yuna should have found Tidus without having to get 100!!! She should have, but no she found him in the farplane in the good an common endings!! That is why I have resolved to turn to writing to satisfy my agitation. This story takes place after the "Common Ending" If you happened to see the "Good" and "Perfect Ending" just pretend it never happened, just scratch that from your memory.

Okay now that we got that straight!!! If you watched to the very end of the credits of FFX then you saw Tidus in the water. I will use that to my advantage as well. So if you too were unsatisfied with the ending then seek no further for this is the ending you are looking for!! Please if you have comments, constructive criticism, or anything at all to say, then don't hesitate to review. It will be gladly accepted!! Oh yah and Gali is my own original character and it not to be used in anyway without acquiring me permission first! Thanx a billion!!! –Falcone

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2, but I really, really wish I did. ;;

**Part 1: You're Everything**

The water lapsed gently on the beach creating a calming rhythm. The night air was silent but the chill breeze could be felt soaring in the trees.

Floating on the surface of the water was a young man, his blond hair drifting as the current pulled in and out from the edge. Soon the rocking stopped and the boy was pulled onto the wet sand. Slowly he opened his eyes, blinking away beads of water with his lashes. Dragging his hands up to his face he ran them across his eyes. They focused more enabling him to distinguish the stars above.

_Yuna_

Yuna was the person who filled every inch of his mind. The High Summoner, his love. He had lost her, he would never find her again, and he would never be able to tell her that he loved her too.

ioioioi

_A few days earlier_

Yuna dragged her hand over one of the crystal branches that lay on the side of the path. Macalania woods had always been a place of serenity and beauty. It was relaxing and would always have a special place in her heart for it was here that she had expressed her feelings for Tidus. He was the star player of the Zanarkand Abes and he had come into her life so suddenly. Tidus had been one of her guardians and he helped her to realize the truth about the Final Aeon.

Even now, four years since they last saw each other, she missed him. She missed everything about him. His eyes, his laugh, his whistle, his smile; all things she would never see or hear again. Sometimes she could swear she could hear him whistling the Hymn of the Fayth on the wind on nights when she would sit on the beach, hoping he would just come back.

But had she not defeated Sin, and had Tidus not disappeared would Spira have lived? Would the eternal Calm have come? No. She knew the answer quite well. But still in her dreams he would always be by her side on her home of Besaid.

The woods were deserted as Yuna continued down the path to the pool of water, where she had wept in Tidus' arms. Her heart beat madly with every step she took.

_Will he be there tonight?_

Soon Yuna turned onto a path that branched off the main one, her pace quickening as she drew nearer and nearer. As she reached the path's edge she gasped suddenly, but breathed out a sigh. No he wasn't there; he was never there. Why would he be? She knew he was gone, gone forever.

Her eyes began to burn with hot tears as she looked up at the glowing moon above. Pyre flies swam through the sky gracefully, their movements reflected in the cool dark water. Yuna slowly walked to the water and sat down beside it. She looked down at her reflection, but the tears that swelled from her eyes soon distorted it. Yuna looked away and began to draw her hand up to her face, but she paused as the sound of child's laughter reached her ears. The sweet laughter sounded happy, full of joy. It began to come closer until it stopped a few feet behind her, and went silent. Slowly Yuna turned to where the sound was. She turned to face a small girl about five years old. On her delicate face was a bright smile, a dimple creased on her left check. Her hair was dirty blond and her eyes were of the brightest blue. She looked like a little doll, much like Yuna had when she was a child. But this girl looked different somehow. She reminded Yuna of Tidus. For a few minutes both just store at each other until suddenly the little child took Yuna's hand.

"Don't worry mama!" she whispered in Yuna's ear. Then she quickly gave Yuna a kiss on the cheek. Yuna looked at the girl in surprise. She then placed her had on the girl's hair and began to stroke it like she had always done it to her. The child reacted in the same way.

"Gali!" a familiar voice called, Yuna gasped at the sound of the voice. "Gali, where are you?" With that the little girl smiled and ran to a figure approaching down the path, her sweet laugh echoing in the trees. Yuna stood up as the figure moved towards her. Gali trailed a bit behind holding the figure's hand. Any second now he would step into the shower of moonlight spread across the opening where Yuna stood. He took one more step and then the dazzling white moonlight sprinkled his familiar features.

His tan face was set with brilliant blue eyes, and surrounded by flowing blond hair. He was the same, except his usual Zanarkand Abes uniform was replaced by softer, cotton clothing. Everything about him was perfect.

_Tidus_

Yuna pulled her hand to her mouth at the sight of the man she had been searching for, for so long. A smile crossed his face as he moved towards her. He placed his hand on her warm cheek and pulled her in for a long awaited embrace. Yuna looked up at him and moved her face closer to his…

Startled, Yuna's eyes burst open. She looked around her and was saddened to see the familiar set up of her bedroom on Besaid Island. It was all a dream. She turned onto her back and pulled her hand up to her eyes to stop the flow of tears that were threatening to escape.

Why was she having so many dreams of his return? She wished for it so ardently, but she knew that it would never happen.

But, this dream affected her even more then any other one she had had. A sweet little angle had been in her dream. Gali. Was Gali her...daughter?

What did it matter really if she would never see him, never be with him again?

Yuna pulled herself out of bed and drew back her curtain. A stream of sunlight poured in making her squint as she adjusted to the sudden change. Yuna leaned on the windowsill and looked at all the busy people working below her. Her house branched off from the main square of Besaid near the left side of the temple and went up a small hill. Yuna really liked where her house was situated because it allowed her some peace and quiet away from the regular noise of Besaid.

For another few minutes Yuna watched her familar home. The mid-day sun shone brightly down on the lush green trees that encircled the main square, and the rush of the waterfalls could be heard in the distance.

Despite her sadness a smile crossed Yuna's face as she gazed down on the town. Everything was so wonderful becsue of the Eternal Calm here. How could she not be a little bit happy? Every single day people in Spira woke up to joy instead of waking up to cower in fear. Life now was so… worth living.

Her life wasn't all-bad without Tidus, but it would never be the same. Yuna knew, though, that she would never love another like she had and still loved him.

Only one thought that pierced her mind constantly. She had always been willing to sacrifice herself for peace. But why could she not accept that Tidus had sacrificed his existence for the existence of others?

ooiioo

Yuna walked from her house down the small path leading to the main square. Over the last two years she hadn't changed that much. Her hair had grown a little longer, but other than that her striking blue and green eyes, pale skin, and sweet smile were still the same. She no longer wore her summoner's garb, nor her sphere hunter's one. Now she wore a simple white cotton shirt and a flowing colourful skirt.

Within a few minutes Yuna was in the square, being greeted by all the residents of the town. After defeating Sin, Yuna had been highly respected and known throughout Spira, but it was always the people from Besaid that made her feel most appreciated.

Yuna continued to the opposite side of the square to where Lulu and Wakka's house stood. In front of it was the crystal-blue commsphere that Shinra had installed close to two years ago. It had been awhile since she had flown with Shinra and the rest of the Gullwings, and she was getting a reminder every week from Brother on the commshpere. The days when she used to soar through the sky on the Celsius were always fun, but really all she wanted to do was enjoy her time on Besaid. Yuna did promise herself to travel to all the wonderful places in Spira, but the memories of her pilgrimage were still too close to her to want to see the places that meant so much.

Yuna pushed the flap that covered the entrance to their house aside, to reveal a set up close to Yuna's own house. Inside sat Lulu, Wakka, and their little son Vidina. Yuna smiled at the sight of the happy family together.

Both Lulu and Wakka had been Yuna's guardians on her pilgrimage to Zanarkand. Yuna could always tell that Lulu and Wakka had feelings for each other, but after the death of Wakka's brother Chappu they had become distant and irate. Once Sin was defeated Lulu and Wakka were married and about two years ago Vidina was born. Lulu had always been like Yuna's bigger sister. She was her protector, even if she was old enough to take care of herself.

"Hello!" Yuna said as she stepped into the house.

"Nice to see that you finally decided to come and join the society," Lulu said, turning from her jumping son to give Yuna a sly smile.

"Ya! What took you so long?" Wakka inquired.

"Uh...bad dream," Yuna, said looking down at her feet so that Lulu and Wakka couldn't see her glistening eyes.

"Come," Lulu said beckoning Yuna with her hand. "Sit down and forget that it happened. Dreams pass. You shouldn't get so affected by them." Yuna stepped forward from the door, and sat down beside Lulu on one of the low couches. As she sat, Vidina came hopping along, and plopped down in front of her feet. Yuna smiled down at the little child and placed her had on his soft, orange hair. Vidina was an exact image of his father; I guess that's why Wakka took so much pride in him. He did have Lulu's eyes though, and nose. All in all he was a very cute child.

"I hope when you have a child you won't take as long to decide its name as Wakka did," Lulu said, making her husband frown.

"I wanted to make sure it was the right one, Ya?" he retorted.

"I know and it is a perfect name," she replied lovingly.

"Of course," Yuna said still smiling and her eyes becoming distant. "But I already have a name. My little on will be called Gali."

----

Yuna took a step forward on the familiar ground of the ruins of Zanarkand. She hadn't been here since she, Rikku, and Paine had searched for the Sphere here. It had been a tourist's place then, but now it was totally empty. Everything was silent, except for the soft buzz of the Pyre flies, which soared in the sky.

Yuna looked at the sky that was covered with the oranges, pinks, and purples of a Zanarkand sunset. They skimmed the water, giving colour to the ripples. When she was still on her pilgrimage, Yuna and her guardians had sat here on a day when the sun had set so beautifully. _He_ sat beside her, knowing she was going to summon the final Aeon.

Yuna turned away afraid that remembering might cause her pain.

She continued down the path that lead to the dome, but as she turned around the corner of one of the crumbling buildings, she was no longer in the ruins but in a huge glowing city. Lights shone everywhere she looked and water sparkled down the side of some of the grand buildings. The whole city was an intricate design of buildings, bridges, and platforms. It was the machina city of Zanarkand.

"Yuna! Hurry! We don't have much time!" cried a voice from the cities entrance. Running in front of her was Tidus. Sweeping through the streets, Tidus weaved his way through the mass of people, an expert of the surroundings. Still running, Yuna looked at all the people tending to their own business. They all looked so alive and free to be able to do what they wanted and not be stung by the pain of loss.

Suddenly, ahead Tidus halted in front of a huge building, which looked like the dome before it had been destroyed. Tidus stood in front of the huge entrance, staring up at the huge logo of the Zanarkand Abes. The Zanarkand Abes had been the blitzball team that Tidus had played on before he had come to Spira. It had been on the night of a blitz game that Sin had come to Tidus' Zanarkand and carried him along with Auron to Spira. So much had passed since then.

As Yuna caught up to him she saw him staring up at the signs, his face showing his longing.

"You miss it don't you?" she said, his head turning towards her.

"Of course," he replied, laughing slightly to cover up his pining. He bent his head down, but soon looked up at Yuna, a small sincere smile on his face, "Nothing at all is better than having you with me." Yuna smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Yuna and Tidus soon broke away from the wanted embrace. They looked around at the people standing close by and noticed that they all seemed frightened. Yuna and Tidus stared at them in confusion but soon understood what was wrong. They heard the loud clunk of boats on the ramp leading up to the dome and new that they were in trouble. Slowly a man holding up a pike gun approached. As Yuna looked at the man, she remembered seeing him somew but could not place him. Raising the eyepiece to his face, he placed his finger on the trigger and fired a smooth and almost soundless shot. Suddenly Yuna screamed as Tidus placed his hands on his chest to stop blood from pouring forth. Dying, Tidus fell to the floor.

"Yuna!" came his last gasp of breath.

"Yuna!"

"Yuna!" came Lulu's voice. "Yuna! Wake up!"

Yuna's eyes shot open. Another Dream.

"Yuna! It's Lulu. I need to speak to you!"

"Coming!" came the tired reply. Yuna dragged herself out of bed, the beautiful bright light of the stars streaming in the open window. She looked at Besaid and sighed.

Would he ever come back?

Yuna walked into the main room wrapped in a maroon linen shawl. Lulu was waiting at the door for her, a smile on her face and her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Is everything okay?" Yuna inquired, her eyes tiredly hald open.

"Everything is fine," she said with excitement, "but I think you might want to follow me!"

iiooii

Yuna drew the curtain covering the Crusader's Lodge aside and stepped into the glowing orange of a fire torch.

"Good Morning, Lady Yuna!" said the owner at the bar to the left of the entrance. "Sorry to disturb you this early, but I felt that this was a matter of importance, especially to you."

Yuna looked at him puzzled. If everything was fine then what could be that important?

"One of the fishermen from Kilika Island came into dock very early this morning. The man that found him…"

_Him?_

Her heart immediately began to quicken, her mind straying from the man's speech to thoughts of Tidus. Could it be Yuna's Him? But how could that possibly be? Yuna's tired eyes became clouded with moisture as the owner continued his explanation.

"… He was lying on the beach, wet and unconscious. He must have come from the water. One of the fishermen ran into the village and woke me up asking if they could bring him here to rest. They came back with him, but all the noise they made while bringing him woke up little Vidina. Wakka and Lulu came outside to see what was happening, and when they saw him they both recognized him. They said you would want to see him. I must tell you though he is still unconscious, but he has been calling out your name in his sleep."

Yuna could hardly believe what was being said to her. Had he finally come back? But was it just a dream? She had had so many dreams that seemed so real that sometimes it was really hard to tell if she was really dreaming. Tears of sadness, happiness, and worry began to drip out of her eyes. Maybe she would finally be happy.

"He's on the farthest bed," said the owner pointing to the white cloth that separated the entrance from the rest of the lodge. Seeing that Yuna was beginning to cry he nodded and left the lodge.

"Is-is it really him Lulu," Yuna's asked her voice straining in-between the now unstoppable tears.

"See for yourself," she answered sweetly.

Yuna stepped up to the cloth and took a deep breath as she slowly drew back the white curtain. Her hand began to tremble making it hard for her to grasp the delicate fabric. She walked into the room, letting the drape fall back behind her. She could hardly see in the darkness, but could hear the soft inhale and exhale of a person in the room. Remembering that the owner said that he was in the last bed, Yuna moved down the middle aisle between the empty, tidy, beds. After walking a few feet, Yuna suddenly stopped, aware that she could distinguish a figure laying on its side in the darkness.

"Yuna!" came a muffled cry from the figure as she slowly, one step at a time, moved towards the bed.

A few inches from the bed Yuna stopped, her eyes wide open and her hand to her mouth.

It was him. His blond hair was the same, his cheeks were the same, his lips were the same, and even his Zanarkand Abes uniform was the same. It looked like she had just left him yesterday.

"Yuna!" came the cry again.

"I'm here!" she said while finally giving up herself. She knelt beside his bed and grasped his hand that hung over the edge. "I'm here, I'll always be here."

ioioioi

Yuna stood on the edge of one of the cliffs that overlooked the ocean. She was tightly wrapped in her shawl since the sun had almost finished setting. The last of the orange light sparkled on the dark water that lapsed in and out of the shore. Most of the fishermen had packed in for the night, but there were still a few skirting over the wet and grainy sand.

It had now been two days since Tidus had come back suddenly and he still hadn't woken up. He was still tossing and turning in his bed, but he had stopped calling for Yuna now that she was almost always grasping his hand. Every second, her mind was thinking of him. She would think if he still loved her and how he would react when he would wake, if he would wake up at all. Maybe he was doomed to be in an eternal sleep, forever tormented by his dreams. Maybe he was waking at that very moment or maybe…maybe… Suddenly Yuna sighed. What point was there in thinking about so many maybes? She would not know until whatever was going to happen, happened. Right now she needed patience and love.

Yuna turned her head slightly to the sound of soft approaching footsteps. Once a bit closer the footsteps were revealed to be that of Lulu's. Without saying a word she strode up and stood beside her, also looking at the sea, now almost completely shaded by the dark sky.

"How is he?" Yuna finally asked after the silence.

"He had stopped moving in his bed and his breathing has become lighter. They said he is starting to come out of his sleep, and may very well be awake before the end of the night." Lulu twisted her head around to look at Yuna's face. It was no longer the stiff mask it had been, but was now trembling as an onslaught of tears were fighting their way forward. Gently Lulu placed her hand on Yuna's shoulder.

"Go ahead and let it out," Lulu whispered to Yuna consolingly. With that Yuna burst into a full-hearted cry, sobbing tears of joy, concern, and relief into her best friend's shoulder. At the end, her face red and her head pounding, Yuna returned to the lodge and held her beloved's hand, hoping, yearning for his awakening.

uiooiu

Tidus opened his eyes, his surroundings slowly coming into focus. He looked around from where he was lying, and recognized the familiar beds of the Crusader's Lodge. How did he get there?

Tidus turned onto his side to face the entrance of the lodge, but could only make out a faint glow of light in the thick darkness. Slowly, he swung his legs over the side of his bed, and steadily lifted himself up. Tripping over his feet, he stumbled over to the white cloth and pulled it aside. No one was in the front entrance, but the light he had seen was coming from outside. Continuing, he pulled aside the cloth covering the entrance and stopped.

The white moonlight shone down on the small village of Besaid, creating an ethereal peacefulness. Along the edge of the square were planted lit torches that flickered and crackled disturbing the night silence. A few steps away from the lodge stood a woman with shoulder length brown hair, with one long braid sticking out the back. She was facing away from the lodge, so all the was seen of her was her hair rustling in the wind and a maroon shawl pulled tight around her to fight off the chilly night.

_Yuna_

Was it her? Was it his love?

Suddenly conscious of a presence behind her, the girl quickly turned around to face the newcomer, a look of painful surprise on her delicate face.

"Yuna!" whispered Tidus, too stunned to move. Yuna's eyes immediately began to fill with tears. She lowered her face so that he couldn't see the glaze that surrounded them. Suddenly all the muscles in his body began to clench, making him too stiff. The sight of Yuna was joyful, yet paining. With eyes full of tears Tidus fought the commands of his muscles and slowly made his way to Yuna. Quickly seeing her distress, Tidus gathered her in his arms. For the next few minutes both just stood grasping one another. Yuna soon began to cry in his arms, and was surprised to feel his own tears slide down his face and fall onto her own.

_Finally_

It was he, Tidus, with her again. After all her searching for him he had finally come to her. He was exactly what she remembered.

"I-I thought you had left me for-forever," Yuna said through her sobs. Slowly, she looked up at his face, which looked beautiful though stained with tears.

"So did I," he replied. "After I left Cid's ship I saw my father, and Auron, and Braska, but then everything went black. I was only vaguely conscious of being on water, and now I'm here. Whatever happened to me doesn't matter now, because I'm truly grateful. The angles answered my prayers. All I wanted was to tell you that I love you." Yuna's eyes began to fill again with tears, her eyes of blue and green shimmering like crystals. Even through her tears she smiled.

"I love you too, and always will," she whispered before he placed his hand on her cheek and moved his face to her. They gazed into each other's eyes, barely an inch away.

"Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you," he said just before closing his eyes and giving her an ardent kiss. Both Yuna and Tidus poured their emotions into the kiss, which was for so long, yearned for.

_Thank you_

_End of Part 1_

**End Notes: **Ahh, sweet love! That's what the ending should have been like. I really hope you enjoyed that; I certainly did while writing it. Now that Tidus is back, we need to know why and then the real story can begin! Yes! It is not only a romance, there has to be some adventure. Too much romance can cause too many trips to the bathroom, or at least I think so! Thanx for reading and I hope that you would like to continue!


	2. Tell Me

**Author's Notes: **Hello again!!! If you are reading this that means you wish to continue my story!!! This chapter is cut into two parts, because the second part needed a lot of revising. The first part was okay, so I decided to post it anyway. If you have any questions or concerns tell me in a reveiw!!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2, but I really, really wish I did. ;;

**Part 2a: Tell Me**

Tidus sat with his legs pulled against his chest, on one of the many cliffs looking over the waterfalls of Besaid. So much had happened in the last few weeks that he could hardly remember all the information he had received. Yuna had explained to him that close to four years had passed since he literally disappeared. She told him of the time she had with the Gullwings and how she had found spheres about Vegnagun and Shuyin. How Shuyin had looked so much like him that she believed him at first to be Tidus. How after saving Spira once again, she went back to Besaid to be in peace. So much had happened since he left, so much time had passed and yet Tidus was sure he had only jumped form Cid's ship a few days ago. He even was still wearing his Abes uniform when he was pulled out of the water too. Something must have happened to him, but what? He had puzzled over these thoughts already many times and each time he only found dead ends. But even as he thought over the reasons he was still grateful. He was alive and with Yuna. After defeating Sin, he should have disappeared with Zanarkand. There were so many things to unravel.

Even through the maze of questions, the rhythmic sound of the falling water calmed Tidus. Soon he forgot about his problems and let all his worries fall down with the water. The wind stirred the leaves around him, howling at the grey moon. Closing his blue eyes he let the wind wrap around him, whipping his blond hair around his face. There was only so much he could now, for the moment all he could do was wait. The answers would come eventually.

As he sat there, the sun slowly began to rise. Soon a grayish light spread across the horizon, as the bright pinks and oranges painted the many clouds floating in the sky. The water turned from black to a bright blue, and the wind began to settle to a light, warm breeze.

Soon the fishermen came out to their work, and the Island of Besaid began to awaken. Deciding that he better return, Tidus left his refuge and began to climb back down the cliff. On his way back to the village, all the people that passed him greeted him. All villagers of the island remembered Tidus from when he had first come and joined Yuna's cause. That was the day that he first laid his eyes upon the Summoner. He remembered thinking how beautiful she was. Not long after that, on Kilika Island, was the day that he knew he had feelings for her. Yuna had been performing a sending for all the lost souls that had passed after the attack of Sin. She walked out onto the clear water, light as a feather her feet barely making ripples, and began to dance. The water raised her and she had swept through the air gracefully, enchanting all that watched her. But he hadn't told her about his feelings until it was almost too late. But now that he had Yuna back, Tidus told her every day that he loved her and that he would always be with her no matter what happened.

Continuing along the paths, Tidus was in the village within minutes. By now the sun had fully risen and was sending its bright rays across the sky. Almost the whole village was awake and moving. As he entered he was again greeted.

"Hey, Tidus!" cried Botta, one of the blitzers of the Besaid Aurochs. "How about a game of blitz! Wakka's been needing a break, maybe we should give him one, huh?"

"Yah, I haven't played for ages!" Tidus said stopping and talking with him

"Did we hear blitz?" called Keepa from the other side of the square. Botta slicked his red hair back in exasperation as the rest of the Aurochs approached.

"I told you about ease dropping, Keepa, but nothing gets through that thick skull of yours does it?" Botta said while knocking on the short, plump man's head.

"Ey! Stop it! Come on guys defend me!" Keepa said to the other three blitzers standing and laughing on the side.

"I think he deserves it," said Jassu discreetly to Tidus.

"Hey, what's going on?" called Wakka stepping out of his house.

"We have decided to play a game of blitz," Letty said, throwing the blitzball, which he was holding to Wakka. "You up to it?" Wakka looked down at the blue and white ball. Its surface was covered with bumps and random symbols. He ran his fingers over the very familiar ball and smiled slyly.

"You're on!"

ioioioi

Almost the whole village had come out to see the Aurochs play. They all stood around the edge of the little lake that broke off from the ocean, cheering for their favorite player.

Wakka gathered his teammates, Jassu, Datto, and Tuyya (Jassu's sister) and in a huddle, as Tidus gathered his teammates, Letty, Botta, and Keepa. Each side discussed strategy until the Captain's of the teams approached each other.

"I hope you still remember how to play," Wakka said mockingly to Tidus.

"Oh don't worry, you'll get enough of a challenge!" Tidus quickly came back. About to start, both men grasped hands and wished each other a good game.

"Let's Blitz!" Wakka cried as he threw the ball into the air and then jumped in the water. Speedily each centre player swam towards the ball, but Botta got to the ball first and then passed it over to Tidus. Wakka attempted to block him, but failed as Tidus made a quick dive past Wakka's feet and threw the ball to Letty. Letty seeing a chance at a score swam for the goal where Jassu's sister defended. Swimming swiftly behind, Datto caught up to him and tackled Letty to steal the ball. Heading for Keepa on the other goal, Datto dodged the attacks from all three other opponents, and attempted to score. Keepa caught the ball, just barely.

In no time the game progressed. Wakka and Tidus kept the game tied, for as soon as one team scored so did the other one. Finally two hours later, the game ended tied at 8:8.

"Good, huff, game, huff!" Tidus said while attempting to catch his breath, beads of water and sweat dripping down his face.

"Ya, huff, you too, huff!" Wakka replied, while leaning against his knees.

"Very impressive," Lulu said walking up with Yuna, both wearing smiles. Jumping behind them was Vidina who came up and grabbed onto his mother's skirt. By now most of the watchers were on their way back to the village, leaving the lake almost completely deserted.

"You both played very well!" Yuna agreed, "Of course, we all know that Tidus could have beat Wakka he was just…out of practice."

"Oh really?" Lulu said in her placid voice, seeing Yuna was just playing with her, "If Wakka had only still been with the Aurochs instead of taking care of his son he would have been able to beat Tidus into the ground!"

Once Yuna ad Lulu had their bit of fun, they decided to walk back to the village. Yuna and Lulu walked ahead together, and Tidus and Wakka walked behind.

"So when did you know that you loved her?" Tidus asked Wakka casually, while linking his arms behind his head in relaxation.

"Oh Lulu…a while back," he replied looking up at the white clouds that scattered the blue sky like cotton balls. "She was always close to me; she grew up with me and Chappu. I remember being jealous, when she was with Chappu, Ya. They went everywhere together and did everything, I felt kindda left out, Ya. When Chappu joined the Crusaders I was sortta happy that he left, but when we got news that he was killed by Sin, Lulu and I wouldn't talk to each other for days. Over the next few years we realized that Chappu would never come back, Ya. But then you came and Lulu and I thought you looked so much like Chappu."

"Yah, I remember seeing Lulu talking to you one night about that. She was angry at you," Tidus said, thinking back to the time just after he had come to Besaid. Lulu had told Wakka that he shouldn't of brought him, and no matter how much he looked like Chappu he wasn't.

"I guess you could say, with you being here, her feelings changed towards me," Wakka said turning towards his friend, "You kindda brought us together."

"Well, I'm glad it turned out so well. To bad I missed the wedding. I would have loved to see you guys all formal," Tidus said with a laugh. For as long as Tidus had known Wakka, he had never really worn anything that was above casual. Seeing him dress for his wedding would have been a sight to see.

"Actually, Rikku did take a sphere of it, "Wakka said as they passed the place where Kimarhi had first challenged Tidus. "If you want you could watch it, Ya."

"Thanks."

_End of Part 2a_

**End Notes: **Don't worry the real plot will be shown soon! I will post the second part as soon as possible, but my Exams are this Wednesday, so I won't be writing anything else until they are over. I want to do well, so wish me luck!!


	3. Shifting Time

**Author's notes: **Whoa!! So much has happened since I last updated!! Sorry about the supper long wait, and if everyone has lost interest in my story by now, I don't blame you!! But, if by a small chance there is someone willing to read the next part, I would be very grateful. So anyways if there isn't much interest in this fic I'll just stop!! So if you want this story to continue at least one person!!! REVIEW PLEASE!!! But, no pressure!! Anyways, I have a really hard time completing thoughts, so if you venture into my other stories you will see that none of them have been completed either. Oh well...life goes on!! So good bye for now!! 8)Falcone(8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2, but I really, really wish I did. ;;

**Part 2b**: **Shifting Time**

The sphere viewer filled with lines of gray static that buzzed across the screen. As the lines slowly started to disappear, a picture of Besaid Village Square filled with its joyous inhabitants was visible. Children leaped up and down and adults smiled merrily, all indications of a happy day.

After traveling the length of the village, the sphere finally turned towards the Temple and zoomed in on a figure, unrecognizable due to the shadows cast by the Temple columns.

The sphere still zoomed in, the person slowly began stepping towards the Temple ahead. When eventually reaching the entrance, he pulled open the heavy, engraved stone doors and stepped inside.

Immediately he was covered in a shower of blue light that emitted from the torches along the walls, revealing the square and tanned face of Wakka.

Standing grandly within the entrance, Wakka wore the traditional wedding garment. It was made of blue linen, embroidered with a gold thread that draped around his body.

His eyes stayed fixed on a woman that knelt on the Temple's marble floor, looking towards the sky. Slowly, Wakka walked towards the woman and once there, she stood up to face him.

Wakka looked deeply into the maroon eyes of Lulu, who was wearing a beautiful blue and white dress. Her slender, pale face was flourished with bright pink cheeks, which complimented her rosy lips. Lulu's usually pulled back dark hair was now flowing freely around her face, but covered at the back by a white veil covered in island flowers.

Lulu and Wakka smiled at each other as they proceeded out of the Temple and into the blazing sunlight, shinning all over their home village. All the people smiled and clapped as the couple walked down a path through the people to a man standing on the blue centre.

The ceremony began and consisted of many traditions that hadn't changed despite the recent betrayal of Yevon. Both Lulu and Wakka recited their vows and expectations of their spouses in their marriage life together. Soon after, Lulu and Wakka took hold of a red scarf that signified their bond and began to walk back to the temple. Once they reached the Temple entrance once again, the man who headed the ceremony took away the scarf from their hands and placed their hands together. Wakka looked over at the man, who smiled and nodded. Wakka's smiled grew bigger as he turned back to Lulu wrapped her in his arms. Lulu slowly brought her hand up to his cheek and caressed it lightly. Slowly he moved his face closer to hers as he closed his eyes. Gently, he pressed his lips to hers, sweeping themselves up together, as he tasted the warm moisture that resonated form her. The crowd cheered as Lulu and Wakka turned back to cheering village and announced themselves as officially bonded.

---

Suddenly static filled the screen of the sphere viewer, ending the sphere that they had been watching.

"Even since then, so much has happened," Yuna said after turning from the screen that everyone had been watching intently. "But it just shows how many good things happened from the many sacrifices that have been made." Tidus leant back onto his elbow and looked over at Yuna, who had started a conversation with Lulu and Wakka. Every time he gazed at her he knew that she was the person he wanted to spend the every minute of his life with. Just seeing her every morning sent a great warm rush through him, and when he pressed her tender, pink lips to his he felt more alive than ever. One day, when the time was right, Tidus knew that he would ask Yuna to marry him so that they would really be together forever.

Suddenly breaking Tidus from his haze, the sphere viewer, which hadn't been turned off yet, began to fill with static. All the occupants of the room looked over at the screen to see a picture developing from the static.

---

Stumbling over his own feet, a man walked towards the broken and deserted dome that lay among the rest of the ruins of Zanarkand. He looked as if he was fairly young, but around him pyre flies flew everywhere indicating that he might already be dead. His youthful features were somewhat see through, but it wasn't certain, due to the static and darkness of the surroundings. His brown hair and tattered Yevon uniform visible, the young man made the familiar route that so many summoners had made before him.

"No," came his weak voice from between strained sobs, tears flowing down his red cheeks.

"No!" he said again, his voice more tormented. Pulling his hands up to his head, the young man stopped in front of the dome's entrance and fell to his knees. Bending his head down so that his hair draped over his face, his tears began to fall more vigorously as he began to sob uncontrollably.

"I will not let go of the dream! It's the only way she can come back to me, the only way to see her and to hold her!" Suddenly standing up, the young man wiped the tears from his face and starred boldly ahead of him. In his hand he held a half glowing sphere, which he held in front of himself.

"This is the only thing that can do it, "he said as if pained by it, as he took out the other half of the sphere. Holding both parts inches apart, the young man suddenly thrust the two halves together causing a great light to erupt from it.

"I love you Nalien," he whispered within the light, "Come back to me!" The light rumbles for a few more seconds before the force of the explosion caused the screen to go blank.

---

Yuna shifted in her seat, her face pale and her throat dry.

'That was strange, huh?" Wakka said as he got up and turned the sphere viewer off. "Rikku said that when she found the sphere at the Zanarkand ruins, she detected no other recording on it."

"I've seen that man before," she said still looking at the screen, "he was in a dream of mine one night two weeks ago. In it he killed Tidus."

_End of Part 2b_


	4. The One Recurring Dream

**Author's Notes: **Right now I am in shock!!! I had no idea that I would get the reaction I did to that chapter!!! 00 Soooooo speechless!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Wow…I figured I would be stopping my story today instead of writing the beginning of Part 3!!!! My heart seriously goes out to all of you for reviewing me. Oh…it was so funny…after I checked my e-mail and read your lovely reviews I started opening the necessary programs and getting whatever when I realized that I couldn't remember what the third part was supposed to be about!! Luckily I found my old notebook with all my ideas in it, so that was a relief!! So anyways, I hope you enjoy the next chapter and I hope it answers all your questions about the cliff hanger!! 8) Falcone (8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2, but I really, really wish I did. ;;

**Part 3: The One Recurring Dream**

"Nalien! Come back to me!"

"I will not let go of the dream!"

"Nalien, look at me!" a young man whispered, as he crouched down in front of young woman who sat numbly on her knees. His hands were grasped lightly on her wet cheeks to direct her terrified face towards his. "Nalien, please!" He said his voice straining back the sobs that his brave façade wanted to let forth. Nalien shifted her striking green eyes to look directly into his brown ones, salty tears filling them to the brim.

"Nothing will happen to us right, Laji?" Nalien said, her mahogany brown hair falling over her face as she looked down in despair.

"Nothing at all will happen," Laji said pulling Nalien into his arms, while he surrendered to his sorrow and let the tears flow down his dirtied cheeks. "We will always be together."

---

Laji opened his eyes slowly, his head spinning as he looked around the place where he was lying. Drawing his hands up to his chest, Laji lifted himself up, his tired arms straining to hold his weight. Once he found his balance, he turned his head in every direction, the land around him covered in death. Laji walked forward not noticing the destruction that was around him.

"I must—I must find Nalien. I must get to Zanarkand!" Laji said, his voice rough and his eyes distant. Flying around him, were many Pyre Flies, creating an ethereal glow that floated about him. Laji noticed the colours but didn't comprehend what was going on.

"I must get to Zanarkand," he said again as he walked away in his haze, the ruined city of Zanarkand behind him, and the destroyed body of Nalien behind him.

---

Yuna saw the man walk down the ramp again, the clunk of his boots the same sound as last time. He walked down, carrying his pike-gun. And then suddenly raising it to his eye, firing that soundless shot that would end Tidus' life. That one moment again, replayed in it's exact accuracy; the exact same. No, this time it wouldn't be the same; it would be different. She would stop it; stop him.

The man walked to the bottom of the ramp, raised the eyepiece to his face, and began to press his finger into the trigger. Yuna ran to Tidus, who still had not comprehended the situation.

"Stop!" she cried as she stopped in front of Tidus with her arms spread out, the bullet inches from her chest.

"Stop!"

Yuna sat up straight in her bed, her eyes dripping with tears. She put her hands on her chest to try and suppress her rapid breaths. As she began to calm down again, Yuna lay back onto her damp sheets, her head pounding as she moved. Yuna placed her hand on her forehead and pulled is down her face to wipe off some of the sweat that had drenched the line of her hair. Turning onto her side, Yuna faced the open window in her bedroom, bathing her in a shower of white moonlight. Sighing deeply, she let the cool night air sweep over her, her pale arms spread wide open on her bed.

_Why is this happening? _She thought. _Why do I keep having this dream?_

Yuna let out a frustrated grunt of anger and pulled the covers over her moist skin. She didn't know why she was having these weird dreams; they were a mystery to her. All this started a couple of days before Tidus was found lying on the beach unconscious just over three weeks ago. In her dreams she would usually see herself and Tidus somewhere in Spira, but in the end off all of them something tragic or sad would occur. But since the day she had seen that sphere of the young man in the Zanarkand ruins, she would have the same dream. She had, had this dream on the night that Tidus had come back. She saw herself walking in the Zanarkand ruins and remembering the time on her pilgrimage when she and her guardians had sat there when suddenly, Tidus was running in front of her through Zanarkand. Yuna followed Tidus into the city, in all its wonder and glory, until they reached the Dome. There the young man, who had been in the sphere, came down the ramp leading into the Dome and shot Tidus. Seeing this man in her dream first, and then in the sphere had really shocked Yuna, causing her to see that same dream since then. But every night the dream was somehow altered; it was always changed slightly. She didn't know why or how, but the ending was always different. But not only did she keep having this dream, but Yuna always saw this young man in other threads of dreams as well. He was always there somehow, like he would never let her mind free. It was all so confusing.

Yuna closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind of all the thoughts that were wandering about. She would figure out what to do about them in the morning.

oiioiio

That morning the sky was dark with the transparent grey of heavy clouds, casting the Island in shadow. Accompanying the dismal haze, the cold wind rang its morning call through the trees, causing them to shake and rustle their leaves in fright. The foreboding weather warned of a storm that would soon hit Besaid, putting the entire village in a miserable mood.

The mood wasn't different for Yuna as she sat in the main room of her home, sipping gradually at a cup of island herb tea. Wrapped in her maroon shawl to fight off the cold, Yuna slowly took a sip to bring back some warmth to her body that had left her through the night. Yuna stared pensively down at the cup held tightly in her hands, watching the reflection of her face graze the surface.

Yuna looked up from her cup and took in a deep breath. That morning she had figured out what she had to do to discover what was happening in the depths of her mind. There was some sort of connection to the man in her dreams and the same man in Lulu and Wakka's wedding sphere, and she needed to figure it out before the dreams she was having drove her to insanity. It was all planned. All that was left to do was to tell Tidus.

"Good Morning!" came Tidus' cheery voice from the other side of the main room. Yuna put her cup down and turned her head to look over at him, her face pale and nondescript. Tidus put his arms down, which he had been previously stretching and the smile that was on his face disappeared.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern as he walked over to Yuna and sat down beside her. Yuna nodded, bending her head to look down at her hands, which seemed to have had all the blood sucked from them. Tidus put his hand underneath her chin and lifted her face up. His bright blue eyes were pursed with unease, as he took hold of Yuna's hands in his.

"Something's wrong," Tidus said to her, his face wrinkling in a loving smile. "Whatever it is, you know you can talk to me about it. That's why I'm here!"

Yuna cleared her voice, and swallowed hard.

"I need to leave Besaid," she said, her hair falling across her cheek as she turned her head. "And you need to stay here, where it's safe."

"What?" Tidus said, not comprehending what she was saying to him. Yuna stood up and walked to the window on the other side of the main room. Pulling her shawl tighter around her, Yuna looked out at the village distantly.

"Since you came back a few weeks ago, I've been having these weird dreams." Yuna said, her voice tense. "When you were gone I used to dream that you would come back to me. These dreams would be happy, but they would always make me sad when I realized that they weren't real. When you did come back my dreams began to change. They always had you and I in bad situation, where everything turned out wrong. I really thought they were nothing but dreams. But when we watched Lulu and Wakka's wedding sphere and the scene with that man, I realized that I had seen him before in one of my dreams of you."

"I was walking around the Zanarkand Ruins, when it suddenly became alive again. All the magical lights came back and it was filled with people that looked so happy. You were there and you brought me to the entrance of the Dome. I looked at the people around us and I remember seeing them frightened. I looked up at the entrance and saw this man with a pike-gun. He walked down and raised it and killed you. That man was the same man in that sphere."

"I've had that dream every night since we watched that sphere, and I just can't handle it anymore. It's making me anxious and restless and I never get any sleep anymore. It has to all stop; it has to end. I need to find out what the connection this man has with my dreams and with you. That's why I need to leave without you." Yuna turned away from the window to look over at Tidus, who had gotten up from his seat to stand behind her. Yuna looked down again, so to hide her glistening eyes.

_Don't cry, _she thought. _Don't cry._

Tidus walked up to her and drew her into his arms, his face covered with concern.

"I don't want you to leave me again," she said against his chest, her voice distorted by the sobs that were chocking her. Yuna's eyes spilled out her warm, salty tears that soaked into his cotton shirt. "You just can't!"

"I will never leave you," he whispered into her ear, "But I can't let you go alone. I love you just too much to let you face danger without me to guard you. Please let me help you." Yuna looked up at him, her eyes red from crying, and nodded in consent.

_End of Part 3_

**End Notes: **Sorry, It's a bit short. I really could've added a lot to this chapter, but this coming Tuesday is my Birthday so I won't have time to write more. Also, on Wednesday, I'm going up to Princeton not the university, the little town in the moutains with my class for a couple days and won't be back until the weekend. I thought it would be cruel not to post until next weekend. So anyways…sorry if that doesn't answer any questions but posses more. I really hope you enjoyed that and that you are still interested in reading the rest. Man…it's really hard getting back into writing after taking a long break from it!! If it's a bit choppy tell me, and I'll try harder next time!! Bye bye for now!! 8) Falcone (8


	5. Aboard the Celsius

**Author's Notes:** Yay!! Thank you for the birthday wishes!! It was really great!!! The story is starting to get a move on!! It's all been a bit clouded as to what was happening, but all shall be soon revealed!! Hope you enjoy this next installment!!

:) Falcone (:

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2, but I really, really wish I did. ;;

**Part 4: Aboard the Celsius **

Staring out at the heavy clouds, Rikku sat on the stairs in front of the bridge of the Celsius, falling asleep from sheer boredom. After recently completing the rebuilding of 'Home" in the Bikanel Desert, this bubbly Al Behd girl hadn't found any excitement for the last two months. And since all of Rikku's amusement was based on excitement, she was really starting to fell the withdrawal.

Lazily moving her head around, Rikku looked from Buddy to Brother to Shinra, not understanding why the boredom she felt wasn't affecting them. Her older Brother named, well, Brother, was leaning back with his arms behind his head at his piloting station, softly humming a familiar Al Behd tune. Brother had been on cloud 9 ever since they started rebuilding "Home." Of course, he would never tell Rikku why he was so happy, but she could guess that it had something to do with Nahdala and a couple of spiced-bear bottles. Buddy was enjoying the quiet breaks from sphere hunting and "Home" rebuilding. All he would do was sit and read, going into his own little world in his head. How could that be fun? Anything more boring would send Rikku through the roof. She would _never _understand it. Shinra, on the other hand, was as excited as ever. He sat, his face inches from his computer screen, figuring out all the calculations needed for his next invention. Whatever that was. The sole person that might have given Rikku a bit of entertainment had left a month and a half ago. Paine had one day gotten a mysterious message and then decided to leave for the time being. The only information she gave to Rikku was 'Bevelle' and 'a man from the past.'

Rikku sighed. _Sheer boredom._

Suddenly standing up and giving her arms a good, long stretch, Rikku walked to one of the windows that were, at the moment, opaque from the thick clouds.

"The weather is dreadful," she said, her voice taking its familiar high-pitched whining, as she frowned at the window. Rikku turned to look at the others on the bridge, her face showing her obvious exasperation.

_Great,_ Rikku thought, as she realized that no one had even moved a finger in reaction to what she said._ I'm glad to see they remember that I exist!!_

"I'm going to get something to eat," she said as she began to walk towards the back of the bridge, knowing that she wasn't being listened to. As she walked towards the back, she passed the commsphere and noticed that the crystal blue surface was bright red. Rikku paused and looked over at the piece of machinery, not sure what the glowing exterior meant. After the defeat of Vegnagun, she hadn't really been in the Celsius that much, until only recently, so she wasn't sure how the invention worked.

"I think we are getting a transmission on the commshpere," Rikku said, her voice unsure.

"Just press the button on the side of it," Shinra replied from his computer beside her, still not turning away from the screen to look at her.

_Well at least I'm getting some reaction, _she though sarcastically, her bright green eyes rolling in her head. Rikku squatted down in front of the commsphere and traced her hand around the outside edge. When she reached the button she pushed it down and fell back on to the ground in surprise, as a pearly blue hologram of Yuna burst up.

"Oh! Hey Yunie." Rikku said, lifting herself up from the ground, her bottom very sore from the sudden fall.

"Yuna," Brother said excitedly, jumping from where he was relaxing to join Rikku at the commsphere. Even though he and Nahdala had their weird thing going on, Brother would never get over his crush on Yuna. Rikku frowned at her Brother, her forehead wrinkling in disgust. Yuna's mother had been Rikku and Brother's Aunt, so they were first cousins. She had never understood why Brother liked her in that way. Realizing that Yuna was on screen, both Shinra and Buddy got up from their seats as well to say hello to Yuna, making Rikku's frown become even more noticeable.

"Guys, I need your help," Yuna said, her voice sounding distressed. "Do you think you can come to Besaid?"

"Of course," Rikku replied. "What's the problem?" Yuna paused and looked away from the faces of her friends.

"Tidus is back," she said, her voice barely audible. "And I need to know why."

ioioioi

The Celsius landed in the shallows of the water not far from the shore of Besaid, its titanic body rippling the surface. Rikku stepped off the ramp and splashed down into the knee-deep water. Looking up at the sky, she frowned as the rain pelted down in her face. Rikku raised her arms above her head and waved at the shore where she saw someone standing. As the figure waved back, Rikku broke into a sprint, the water soaking her bottom half.

"Yuna!" she called, her face lighting up despite the fact that rain was dripping down her cheeks. Reaching the shore, Rikku ran to her cousin and gave her a big hug. Yuna smiled and gave Rikku as much as a hug as she was giving her.

"I haven't seen you in so long," Yuna said once they broke apart, a smile spreading across her fair face.

"Too much time had passed," Rikku replied, giggling softly. "Nothing is the same anymore, and the Celsius is deathly boring without you there." Yuna laughed, pearly beads falling from her hair as her body shook.

"How is everyone on board?" Yuna asked once she had finished laughing.

"They're all having the time of their lives!" Rikku said sarcastically, swinging her bent arm in front of her to emphasize the sarcasm. "Buddy reads all day, Shinra invents all day, and Paine left a month and a half ago to meet 'a man from the past.' Like I said, boring!"

"And how is Brother?" Yuna asked, raising one of her eyebrows.

"Oh, he's fine. I think he has something going on with Nahdala though. When were at "Home" they were always quiet around each other and every time I needed to talk to her about something she was out at the same time that Brother was out. Then one day I found these spiced—," Rikku cut off and looked behind Yuna's shoulder, her flushed face suddenly becoming pale. Yuna turned her head around as Tidus walked across the damp sand to where they were standing.

"So you are finally back," Rikku said, a smile curving the edge of her lips.

"Yah," Tidus replied. Looking kind of nervous he pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants, and sort of swayed on the balls of his feet.

"Well, it's nice to see you again," she said while some colour returned to her cheeks and her shocked disposition fading. "You better not leave again, because I don't really want to be dragged out to look for you again!"

"I won't be going anywhere!" Tidus said, lightly chuckling.

"Good! Well, I guess we better get back to the Celsius." she said before she turned around and began to wade back through the water towards the air ship. The rain beginning to fall harder, the three of them began to run to reach the ramp before they were soggy. Stepping onto the metal platform, they were lifted up into the safety of the Celsius.

"I guess you guys want to get changed first," Rikku assumed, as she stepped into the elevator. She looked over at them and laughed. They were both soaked all the way through. She too had gotten wet, but Rikku also had a jacket on so she wasn't as bad off.

"I'll let you off here," she said, as the elevator came to a halt at the cabin level. "Your old dress spheres are still here, Yuna. And I think there is a sphere you can use too, Tidus."

"Thanks," Tidus replied, not sure what to make of what she said.

"I'll see you guys later," Rikku said, waving as the doors closed leaving them in the brightly lit hall.

"Dress sphere?" Tidus asked turning to Yuna in confusion as they entered the cabin, a trail of water behind them.

"It's a sphere used for battles that gives you certain abilities and features," she told him. "I'm going to get mine on and then I'll find one for you." Yuna walked past the bar and to a door. She opened it, and smiled at Tidus as she closed it behind her.

Tidus sat down at the bar and rested his head on his arms. He closed his eyes and let his mind go, forgetting the many thoughts that rushed through his head.

The last few nights had been horrible for him. He had gotten only a couple hours of sleep in total in three days. When Yuna had told him of her dreams, he had watched her and noticed the change in her. That night, he had been woken up by her tormented calling. Tidus went to her bedroom to make sure everything was okay and found her moving frantically in her bed calling his name. He grabbed her sweaty hand and whispered in her ear that he was there for her and that seemed to calm her. So for the last three nights he sat by her bed holding onto her hand so that her nights would be peaceful.

Tidus lifted his self up, whipping the water from his face. His wet bangs hung over his eyes and dripped beads into the bottom of his eyelashes. Tidus rubbed his tired eyes with his fisted hands. Hearing the opening of the door, he quickly took his hands from his eyes as Yuna walked out of the door in her Gunner dress sphere. Tidus' face lit up as she walked towards him, a whole different person. He raised his eyebrows as he looked at her standing in front of him, one of her hands held on her hips and her weight on one side. Yuna's face showed her annoyance but then she realized that Tidus had never seen her like this before and a small smile curved on her lips. She wore her white, spaghetti blouse that opened in the middle revealing 'The Zanarkand Abes' logo, her tight dark blue short shorts with the flowing blue wrap, and her high purple leather boots.

"Hmmm," Tidus said, his face twisted in an amused smile. "I think I can get used to this."

"Wait!" he said, grabbing onto Yuna's arm and turning her around so that her back faced him. "Yep, I can _definitely_ get used to this." Yuna's face reddened as she quickly turned her head around, realizing what he had meant.

"Tidus!" she said, trying to swat him. Tidus laughed as he avoided all her attacks. As Yuna attempted to smack him one more time, Tidus quickly grabbed onto her arm and pulled her up against him. Yuna suddenly stopped and consented as Tidus pressed his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her back, one hand venturing a bit further.

"Hey," Yuna whispered into his mouth. "Nuh un!" Tidus chuckled and pulled her into a deeper, harder kiss.

After finally finishing, Yuna picked up the sphere, which she had put down on the bar before Tidus had looked at her.

"This is for you," she said, handing it to him. "It's the only one I found that I thought wasn't completely ridiculous." Tidus took it from her hand and examined the shimmering, green surface.

"So, how do I work this thing?" he said looking up from the sphere and at Yuna.

"Just hold it while thinking about changing," she replied, strapping her guns onto her leg holsters. "It will either put the cloths directly on you or spread the cloths around you. It depends on how concentrated your thoughts are. There is a change room in the back"

Tidus walked through the door that Yuna had gone through before and followed a hall to a lit room at the end of it. Closing the door behind him, Tidus stood in the middle of the dark metal room and held the sphere in his hands in front of him.

_Okay, _he thought, shifting his feet slightly. _Concentrated thoughts. I want to change. I want to change. She looked so perfect in those shorts. Wait! No! Concentrated thoughts. I want to change. I want to—God what have I missed. Seeing that ass everyday! Change! I want to change! _

A green light suddenly burst forth from the sphere and filled the room causing Tidus to shield his eyes with his forearm. Once the light had subsided Tidus took his arms from his eyes and saw pieces of black clothing spread across the floor of the room.

_Great, _he thought. _I guess not concentrated enough! _

Tidus picked each piece of clothing up and, after figuring out what was what, put it on. Tidus walked back down the hall, his heavy boots clunking on the steel floor. He stepped back out into the cabin, looking down to the side, a pair of simple shades covering his eyes and his blonde hair sweeping over his cheek. Suddenly turning his head towards where Yuna was sitting he looked at her in the eyes, a cocky smile spreading across his face. Yuna looked at Tidus shocked.

He wore the Bounty Hunter dress sphere, which made his handsome features much more prominent. All his clothing was dark, steely, gray with bursts of dark green her and there. Tidus had on a leather jacket that hugged to his chest, pants that puffed around the edges of his knee high buckled boots. Across his torso was a strap of bullets, across his waist was a belt that held small weapons, and attached to his left arm was an enormous machine gun.

"Now it's my turn to raise my eyebrows," Yuna said getting up and walking towards him.

"You look great!" she whispered before, giving a light kiss to his lips.

"Oooo! Tantalizing!" he whispered back. Yuna laughed as she started walking towards the door to go back to the lift.

"We have serious things to do now," she said looking over her shoulder at him, a soft smile curling her pastel pink lips.

_God, it's great to see her smile, _he thought as walked after her into the hall.

IoioioioI

Shinra sat at his computer, typing madly at the buttons before him. Yuna leant up against the back of his chair, her thoughts completely jumbled. If everything worked out okay, she might be closer to solving her problems.

"Okay, I got it!" Shinra said, his voice raspy through his air mask. "This is the scan that we had stored in the archives of the sphere, from almost four years ago, and this is the scan from today." Two windows pulled up on the screen, one had an orange data wave, and the other had the exact same orange wave but with a new blue data wave after it.

"Wait, wait!" Yuna said pointing at the newer scan. "So this is new data. The scene we watched was recently put on there."

"The scan says that it put on about four weeks ago," Shinra replied.

"And four weeks ago is when I came back," Tidus said, walking up to the computer. 'Then there's got to be some kind of link. I mean, how can there not be? The man in the scene was in your dreams and he killed me. You've had these dreams since I came back, and the data was put on when I came back!" Rikku leaned over Shinra's chair and squinted at the screen.

"Hang on!" Rikku said pressing her finger to the blue data wave. "I've seen this wave before." Her face puzzled, Rikku quickly leapt back from where she was standing and ran to the other side of the bridge. Rummaging through a bag, she took out two orange spheres and brought them back to the group.

"Shinra, scan these spheres for me, k?" Rikku said as she passed the spheres to Shinra, who then placed the spheres, one at a time, in the scanner. After a couple of minutes, Shinra gave the spheres back to Rikku. Popping open the files, he examined the waves noticing the same blue after orange ones.

"We should watch these," Yuna said, her face loosing its colour. "But skip to the blue data." Rikku put the spheres in the viewer and pressed power causing the screen to crackle with static. Yuna and Tidus looked at it, their hearts beating fast, as the scene eventually started.

---

Nothing could be seen through the thick darkness; only the sound of running footsteps and crashing rocks could be heard. Suddenly a great roar was bellowed from within the darkness, echoing through the walls that were unseen. The sound of hard breathing was audible, as a small light was distinguished shinning in the distance. The running became faster and the sound became louder, as the light drew closer and closer. When it was near enough to make out clearly, you could tell that the light was coming from a gleaming orange half-sphere. Stopping suddenly in front of it, a hand picked up the half-sphere. Spreading further out, the picture showed a young man standing in the middle of a glowing bubble in the ruins of an old palace. From outside the little bubble of protection, the sound of approaching footsteps was heard, one slow hard crunch on the ground at a time. Gradually stepping into the brightness, the immense body of a fiend was showered with bright orange light. The monster's fierce eyes shone in its radiance, an inwards growl rumbling in the depths of its chest. It's mouth held millions of razor sharp teeth that were dripping with spit. The monster breathed hard, its mouth open wide as its chest heaved in and out. Moving its head closer and closer to the young man, its scaly skin crackling, the fiend poised itself for attack. The screen zoomed in on the man, which Yuna recognized to be Laji.

"Shit!" he whispered, as he pulled his sword from its scabbard in one fluid motion. "I guess this means you choose to die." The monster let out a rumbling bellow that shook the walls around them.

"Wrong choice!" Laji said, as the fiend leapt towards him, its mouth poised to attack. Laji bent his knees, steadying himself in position. He placed one hand on the flat silver blade, while the other held the hilt tightly. As the monster rushed closer and closer to him, it extended its neck further and further. With the monster inches away, Laji thrust the sword straight through its neck into the fiend's brain. The monster moaned, suddenly stopping in its tracks and fell to the ground with a hard loud crack. Laji placed his foot on the fiend's head and yanked the sword from its neck, wiping the blood from the shinning surface.

"Heh," Laji laughed quietly, while turning from the fiend and walking away with the half-sphere in his hand.

---

"We can't let go, Berron," Laji yelled hitting his fists into the ground where he knelt.

"We have to," said an old man in a white robe, who Yuna presumed to be Berron. Many other men stood around Laji and the old man, nodding their heads along to what was being said. "Don't you want to rest peacefully here, and not have to spend your energy dreaming? Here you can see her everyday, the real Nalien everyday." Laji looked around where he was sitting. The Farplane was a very beautiful place and would always be peaceful, but he could never rest there. His image of Nalien might be here, but it wasn't the real her. He could never do it; he would never do it.

"It's not her," he said looking down. The Berron's face showed his sympathy for Laji, as he reached his hand out and placed it on the young man's shoulder.

"My friend, we have to let go."

"No!" Laji said swiping the man's hand away from his shoulder. "I won't do it. I won't just leave the person that means everything to me!"

"But she has already left you."

"No, she hasn't!" Laji stood up and turned away from the group of men.

"She'll never leave me!" he said, as he walked away leaving Berron stunned.

---

"It's the same man," Yuna said still looking at the screen, her hand on her cold cheek. "On the other sphere, this man, Laji, was holding two halves of a sphere and he thrust them together."

"Wait," Rikku said turning to her cousin. "How do you know his name?"

"He's the man that was in my dreams," Yuna said looking down. "He's the man that kills Tidus in my dreams." Yuna pulled her hand up to her forehead as she closed her weary eyes. "It's getting late. I think I'll go to bed now."

Yuna walked off the bridge her mind in a haze. Tidus looked at the others and then ran to catch up with her.

"Yuna, wait!" he called just as she was about to step into the lift. Yuna turned around to look at him, her eyes moist. "Are you okay?"

"Yah, I'm fine," she responded, her voice faltering.

"No you're not," Tidus said, his eyes showing his concern.

"I just need some sleep, okay? I need to be alone." she said, her voice loud as her mouth started to tremble. Yuna turned around and walked into the lift, tears slowly starting to trickle down her cheeks.

ioioioi

Tidus took a swig from the spiced-beer bottle that he held in his hand. The alcohol trickled down his throat, a warming sensation spreading through his chest. Tidus looked at the bottle in his hand, and frowned. This stuff was nothing compared to drinks he had had in Zanarkand. Placing the bottle down beside him, Tidus fell onto his back, his hands underneath his head. He blinked rapidly as he got used to the glaring moonlight, the sky clear of any clouds to block its rays.

Tidus sighed. So much was going on in his mind; so many things were worrying him. How Yuna had reacted to him not too long ago, had really hurt Tidus inside. He had tried to tell himself that she was angry and frustrated, but he couldn't get over the fact that she had been aggravated by him trying to make her feel better. So, to help clear his mind, Tidus had come up to the bridge to relax and enjoy the nice night. Tidus closed hid eyes letting the cool wind sweep over him, tossing his blond hair across his face. The night was so perfect. The bad rainfall had really done some good after all!

Sitting up again, Tidus grabbed the spiced bear and took another big swig.

_I guess it's not that bad, _he thought, scrunching up his nose.

Tidus crossed his ankles over one another, and bent his knees so that they were close to his chest. Too many things had happened in one day to understand. Just even seeing Rikku again and meeting the other Gullwings had been a bit much. Rikku had certainly changed in one year too. She was no longer the shy bubbly Al Behd girl she had been. She was now a _very open_ person.

Tidus cleared his voice, before putting the rim of the bottle to his lips and swallowing a mouthful down.

Brother, he remembered being introduced to before. Four years ago, he had been the pilot of Cid's ship. At first he hadn't known that Brother was Rikku's older brother, but when they were about to go and defeat sin, he had asked Tidus to protect Rikku from any danger. Tidus laughed softly. Back then Cid had called Brother 'mop head' because of his small fauxhawk hair, which certainly had not changed.

Buddy, Tidus had never met before, but Yuna had said that he was on Cid's ship and was part of the Al Behd blitz ball team. He was an all right guy, who enjoyed poking a bit of fun at Brother. Tidus wasn't opposed to that!

Shinra had totally amazed Tidus. He was fourteen and a complete genius. The only thing that had bugged Tidus about him was that weird body suit thing he wore. How did he breath?

Tidus smiled. The day wasn't _that _bad. Deciding it as good a time as ever to go back inside, Tidus heaved himself up and began to walk back towards the lift. He had only taken a few steps from where he was sitting, when he heard the door open, the light from inside breaking the darkness. Yuna stepped out from the light in her pajamas and stopped just outside the frame, the doors closing tightly behind her.

"What are you doing up here?" Tidus asked, his voice cold despite the warnings of his head.

"Looking for you," she replied, a rasp showing she had been crying in her throat. "I thought you would have come to bed by now."

"You haven't fallen asleep yet?" he questioned, a bit surprised. Yuna looked down and nodded.

"Oh, well I—," Tidus said, unsure of what to say to her.

"Look, Tidus," Yuna said stepping a bit towards him. "I'm sorry for shouting at you. It's just everything that is going on is so confusing and frustrating. The last thing I needed was to be away from you. I just—I just wish it would end." Tidus looked into her eyes, his throat chocked. Yuna took his silence as a dismissal of her apology, and started to leave, salty tears blurring her vision.

"Yuna, wait!" Tidus quickly called before she was able to open the doors that led back into the ship. "Come sit down with me." Yuna turned around and made her way across the deck to where he was standing. Tidus led her near the end, and sat down. Yuna sat beside him, looking down at her folded hands.

"Just tell me next time what you fell like," he said looking out at the starry sky. "I know that you are frustrated and it hurt me more to know that you were in pain than what you said to me." Tidus turned towards her, and smiled. "I love you Yuna, and love can defeat any evil." Yuna's eyes began to spill out her tears, the moonlight making them glisten like diamonds. Tidus wiped the tears that fell down her flushed cheeks, planting a soft kiss on each before kissing her reddened lips. Yuna wrapped her arms over his neck, as he grabbed onto her back and slowly lowered her to the floor.

_End of Part 4_

**End Notes:** Okay…I hope you enjoyed that!!!! The next part should be on in a couple of days!! Thanks again for all your lovely reviews! :) If you got any comments don't be afraid to talk to me!! Bye Bye! :)


	6. The Last Remnant

**Author's Notes: **Hello!! I'm so excited to write this chapter!! I was so excited that I asked my teacher to postpone this story I have to do for English to be due next week!! (When I talked to him it actually had a bit more depth than, 'I don't want to do your stupid assignment I want to do my own stuff!!') All in all, he did postpone it, so now I get to write about poor, poor Yuna instead of some old guy!! YAY!!! :D

Oh…**Major-Lauren-Carter**…thanx for pointing that out. I haven't played FFX for ages so I can't really remember the particulars. Thanx for the review and I hope you want to read on!!

So…anywho, I hope you enjoy!! (: Falcone :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2, but I really, really wish I did. ;;

**Part 5: The Last Remnant **

Yuna blinked, her eyes exhausted and her head even more so. Lying immobile on her bed, Yuna watched the peaceful face of Tidus as he sleep soundly beside her. Why couldn't she sleep as serenely as he did? Why was she plagued by these dreams?

_I can't sleep, _she thought, her eyes closing in spite of the promptings of her thoughts. _Don't…fall…asleep._ Yuna's head nodded, her sight becoming blurrier as she saw less and less of Tidus' face.

_Don't…sleep._

_--- _

"Oh no," Tidus said, his voice frantic as he looked up the ramp that led to the Dome. "He's coming again!" Yuna looked at Tidus, her face showing her distress as he grasped tightly onto her shoulders.

"I won't let him hurt you!" he said, his bright eyes widening. Suddenly hearing the sound of Laji's books on the ramp, Tidus turned to see him slowly descending the pike-gun poised in his hand. "Yuna, run! Get away from here!"

"No!" she yelled, as he tried to push her forward. "I won't leave you! He'll kill you!"

"Just go!" he cried, as Laji pulled the trigger to his gun. Tidus whipped his head around as the bullet came speeding towards them. He pushed Yuna to the ground just in time, the bullet hitting Tidus square in the chest. Tidus looked at the hole in his chest and covered his hands over the wound, blood soaking his cloths. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, taking in his last gasp of breath before he fell to the ground. Pyreflies flew around his body, and then left into sky, leaving his cold corpse behind. Tears of disbelief filled Yuna's eyes as she looked up at Laji, who's face was nondescript. Catching movement from the corner of her eye, Yuna looked past Laji at a woman who was standing behind him. She looked no older than twenty and had long mahogany hair that accented her bright green eyes. Held tightly in her hand, the young woman poised a small dagger ready to strike. Yuna's eyes suddenly widened as she realized who the young woman was.

_Nalien?_

_--- _

Yuna sat at one of the round tables in the cabin, playing at the food that was set in front of her. She leaned against the palm of her hand, her elbow bent on the table. Her eyes lazed around and her body slumped, being even more worn out than she had been last night. Yuna blew out a big breath, her chest falling down.

With each dream she had the more puzzling everything became. In her dream last night, the slight changes that usually occurred had become more drastic. That time Tidus had known Laji was going to come, but even more startling was seeing Nalien behind Laji with a dagger in her hand as if she was about to strike.

Deciding that her food was just not going to be eaten, Yuna stood up, placed her plate on the bar, and walked back to the door that led to her bedroom. As quietly as possible, she opened the door to her bedroom so not to disturb Tidus, who was peacefully sleeping. Yuna tread on the carpet towards her dresser, not making a sound. Tidus moaned, and turned over to face her. His eyes slowly opened as a grin spread across his lazed face.

"Come back to bed," he said, pulling back the covers for her to get in. Yuna smiled and slipped under the warm downy comforter. Tidus pulled her closer to him and rested his chin on the top of her head. Yuna closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence, feeling his chest steadily rise and fall against hers.

"Sleep well?" he asked in a whisper. I mumbled a short yes, my face buried against his neck. "Good." For the next few minutes we lay there, wrapped together in placid silence. Abruptly disturbing them from their haze, a knock came from the large metal door.

"Yuna?" came Rikku's high voice. "Yuna, are you awake?" Tidus sat up as I got out from under the covers to open the door.

"Yah?" I asked as I undid the latch and pulled it open, the sound of scrapping metal scratching all out ears.

"You guys need to come up to the bridge really soon," Rikku said. "I think Kimarhi found something that is really important at Mt. Gagazet."

iiooii

As Yuna and Tidus walked onto the bridge, Rikku turned from where she was standing, a worried look on her face and her hands grasped tightly in front of her.

"So what did Kimarhi find?" Yuna asked as she walked down the stairs.

"This," Rikku said turning towards a pearly hologram that was projected above the commsphere. Yuna moved towards the image and looked at a picture of Mt. Gagazet. Yuna's eyes widened in shock a gasp escaping her lips. Tidus came up behind her and attempted to say something but found his voice wouldn't leave his throat.

"I can't be," Tidus said looking at the hologram, his voice unsure.

"It is," Rikku said her face straight, as she nodded her head up and down. "The dream is back."

_End of Part 5_

Sorry this chapter is so short, but I kinda had something similar to writer's block. I knew exactly what I wanted in this chapter but I couldn't write it down. Also the fact that this week and last week have been so horrible hasn't helped. I had to sing at the prayers and funeral mass for a really close teacher of mine. I don't know about you, but singing a whole mass in Latin isn't my favorite thing to do! …but the next chapter will be longer. I'm almost getting to the really, really exciting parts! Well, anyways, I have to go do homework! Bye Bye!


	7. The Fayth

**Author's Notes: **Well…here is Part 6. Enjoy! I hope you like this part Ines, because this is for you! Never stop believing in me!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2, but I really, really wish I did. ;;

**Part 6: The Fayth**

It was in front of her, looming above her in the sky as far as she could see, and yet she couldn't believe it. It just wasn't possible. It looked the same as it had always did; exactly like it had looked when she had first laid her eyes on it during her pilgrimage. It was then that all the secrets and lies had strated to unravel. But it still hadn't changed.

Pearly light shone off of it and covered everything around it in many different shades of blue. The soft buzzing sound of pyre files was heard, as the wisps of rainbow soared around the tall pillar of energy.

It was true…the dream had returned.

Yuna stood before the dream of the Fayth, her face showing her fear and wonder as her mind raced with thoughts. Tidus stood slightly behind her, just as mystified as Yuna was.

"How?" Yuna uttered, her voice barely audible.

ioioi

Yuna sat on the side of her bed, her elbows leaning lazily on her knees. She could barely believe what she had seen that day. That morning, Rikku had run to her room and said that Kimarhi had found something. When she arrived on the deck with Tidus, they were surprised to see that he had found the dream of the fayth still there. Yuna hadn't been able to speak as the Celsius flew steadily towards the ancient mountain or even when they finally got there.

When they arrived, Yuna stepped onto the familiar rocky ground but found that her legs had suddenly become very weak. She faltered as they made their way to the alcove where the dream had always been and found it even more difficult to hold herself up when she had laid eyes on it.

Yuna looked at the dream in utter disbelief. It had been like she was just there yesterday. Nothing had changed about it; nothing at all. All the others around her couldn't believe it either, but seeing the dream had hit Yuna the hardest. Seeing it had brought her mind into a spiral of questions that were always unable to be answered.

Since they had returned all she had been thinking about was the dream and Tidus Maybe that dream was the only reason that he was back. Maybe it would disappear again and her love would go with it. She couldn't handle the thought of losing Tidus for a second time. She couldn't even picture her life without him there; it would be too…too…lonely!

Yuna sighed. So much had happened in the last couple weeks and yet she felt that they were getting farther and farther from the answered that she wanted so hard to get. Would she ever figure it out?

Yuna lay down on the bed, her mind in tangles, and covered her eyes with her arm.

_I need to relax, _she thought, trying to calm her troubled mind. _Just don't think!_

She lay there for a couple of minutes unaware of what was happening outside her little room. She dozed off slightly but her ears soon became fully alert when she heard a soft buzzing from beside her ear. Yuna quickly sat up and looked around the room. There was nothing there; just darkness. A puzzled look crossed her face. She was sure something had buzzed. Deciding that she had just imagined it, Yuna lay back down on her bed and tried to calm her mind once again.

**_Yuna_**, came a soft familiar voice. **_Yuna, please wake up! _**Yuna pulled herself up again, knowing for sure that a child-like voice had uttered her name.

"Who's there," she whispered into her dark room, unable to see anything in front of her.

**_Don't you remember Lady Yuna? _**The voice asked. **_It's me, Valefor. _**

"Valefor," she whispered to herself. "My Aeon."

**_Yes, Lady Yuna. _**Valefor said, his voice sounding happy that she remembered.

"Why are you here?" she asked, as she got off of her bed and stood up.

**_Zanarkand is in danger, _**Valefor answered, his voice full of worry and fear. Yuna stepped back slightly as the figure of a small hooded boy materialized in front of her. Her face became softer as she recalled the days on her pilgrimage when this fayth had helped her. He had been the first Aeon to accept her as a Summoner. He had trusted her and protected her and helped her. He had been a never-ending guardian, who could feel her emotions and understand her thoughts. They had connected together and in battle their minds were one, intertwined and set for one purpose. But she had had to let him go. She had to destroy him to save Spira. The day that Yuna defied the teachings of Yevon had been the end of so many cherished relationships, that thinking about it had hurt her so much.

**_One of our own has disobeyed us and will not let go of the dream that we all once shared. _**Valefor looked up at Yuna, his eyes showing is anger. **_His will is strong and he will be hard to overcome, but you must stop him. _**

"Stop him? But how can I?" Yuna whispered, confused and unsure.

**_With the love of the people around you, Lady Yuna, _**he replied smiling, a sweet innocence on his face. **_Laji has lost all that he loved and cared for and his pain is great. But with the care and feelings of your loved ones you can show him that those you cherish you are always there. _**Yuna looked down at Valefor and nodded.

**_Take this. It may be able to help you. _**Valefor handed Yuna a small necklace with a large pendant at the bottom. She took it and wrapped it in her hands. **_Please be careful._**Yuna's eyes stayed fixed on the spot, as Valefor slowly began to fade away.

**_Love is the answer._** Tears started to form in her eyes as she opened her hands and looked down at what he had given her. The pendant was an intricate carving of a heart and waves that looked like Pyreflies around it. In the very middle of the pendant was the Zanarkand sign.

"Love is the answer," she whispered to herself, as she lay back onto her bed and drifted quietly to sleep.

_End of Part 6_

Okay…another short one…but…oh well! I hope that you like this chapter! PLEASE REVIEW! I'd really really love if you did! Oh and one thing! I'm not sure if the fayth with the hood is actually Valefor or not. Some people I was talking to was saying Bahamut! I don't know! Just tell me who he really is if you can. But for this story just assume that he is Valefor!


	8. The Breath Before the Jump

** Author's Notes: **Okay…it is time for an update! Yes, it has been a super long time but I had my reasons, believe me! But, now I am back and I'm here to finish this story! I'm not sure how long that will take, but it shall be done! So…before I begin with the theatrics I must clear some things up…

In the last chapter I mixed up the identities of Bahamut and Valefor! So sorry about that, but see I hadn't played the game in a super long time! I still haven't played the game again since then. I have been meaning to, but there has just been no time at all! I've just got too much school and home stuff and life guarding courses! Yikes…there is just too much on my plate! Anyways…enough with my feel-sorry-for-me rants! I'm going to just keep Valefor as the little kid in the hood. It will be easier. I'll change it eventually, but for now think of him as Valefor.

One last thing…**THANK YOU** to all my reviewers! I am so happy that you want to read my story! Huff…I've talked too much! So, enjoy! And don't forget to R&R!!! Okay…let's get on with the show!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2, but I really, really wish I did. ;;

**Part 7: The Breath Before the Jump**

Yuna's eyes followed the line of the horizon, slowly observing everything ahead of her. Her eyes were wide and the intricate patterns that lay in the blue and green of her irises reflected the darkness of the sky. Thick, dark clouds had begun to spread across the skyline in the distance, coursing with deep greys and blues. The east wind picked up rapidly and whipped fiercely against Yuna's cheek making her blood rush to it and give it a red colouring. Far off, the slight sound of thunder crashing loudly in another part of Spira could be heard over the humming of the noisy wind. Yuna cocked her head up in the direction that the clatter came from and frowned.

_Thunder storm, _she thought, her eyebrows rising and her lips pursing. _It's coming quickly. _

Yuna looked across the bare red deck of the Celsius in front of her. The place looked so dismal with the sky overcastting it; it was so empty. The only thing on the deck was the statue of the silver seagull that sat poised in an endless flight. She walked up to the statue and stopped as she reached the edge where it stood. Yuna looked down at the figure that usually shone in the brightness of the sun; it's usual gleaming surface seemed too dull today. She placed her fingers on the smooth cold metal and ran them over the familiar dips and curves. She breathed in deeply and remembered the bright days when she flew on the ship. It had only been two years ago since she had been so free as a Gullwing, but it seemed more like an eternity now. For the time being, she was back on the Celsius, but the recent days were harder. Everything was so complicated, and the days didn't seem to change.

Yuna sighed as she let her hands fall languidly from the bird. The days would become easier soon. She just knew they would; she could feel it in her heart. The troubles that were plaguing her now would drift away from her just like the wind. Since the visit she had received from Valefor, a ray of hope sparked inside of her. He had re-assured her that she could achieve the answers that she was searching for, but although she had her own things to figure out, right now Zanarkand needed her more.

Valefor told Yuna that one of the Fayth wouldn't let go of the dream because of the pain he had felt and because of the people he had lost. The Fayth implored for Yuna's help for she had the connection to the dreams and the love of her friends that were necessary to help her overcome any danger. Just before Valefor left he gave Yuna a pendant that was an intricately carved heart, encasing the sign of Zanarkand. The last words he uttered were 'Love is the answer.'

After seeing him, Yuna had fallen asleep again to yet another dream. In it she saw Laji walking down the ramp at the dome in the centre of Zanarkand about to shoot Tidus with his pike-gun. This particular dream had come to her almost every night, but each time it was altered just a bit. This time she saw Nalien again, but closer to Laji with her dagger poised in a ready stance. There the dream ended, like it usually did. At first, it really affected Yuna but as time passed and she saw the dream more and more, she had started to pick up some of the details of the situation. Maybe the dream was trying to tell her something, or maybe it was a shred of the future.

When Yuna woke up, she wasn't sure if Valefor had actually come to her or if she had only dreamt that too. But, when she lifted up her hand, she realized that she was still grasping the pendant he gave to her.

Everything was confusing her more then before and more questions were forming in her mind. After the appearance of Valefor, new things seemed to make sense however so many others didn't. But amid all the thoughts, the one thing she knew for sure was that she was needed in Zanarkand and that Laji needed her to free him from his pain.

Trying to grasp everything she was told and the feelings she felt in her heart was hard enough for her to understand, but she even explained this to Tidus, Rikku, Buddy, Brother, and Shinra. No one really knew what to say, but in the end they trusted what Yuna was telling them. And so now at that very moment, they were making their way to the ruined city on the edge of Spira. They were almost at Zanarkand.

The door of the deck swished open far behind her and the slow steady approach of footsteps could be heard. Yuna turned her head from where she was gazing at the sky to look over at Tidus. His eyes were open in an almost child-like purity and a small smile curved on his lips. When he was halfway across the deck, Yuna ran up to him and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"I'm frightened," she whispered softly into his neck, where her face was buried and her eyes were closed.

"I know," he replied. He pulled away from her and placed his hand gently onto her cheek, gazing deeply into her eyes. "But you have to do this; we have to do this." Yuna looked down and nodded. She knew what she had to do, and she knew that she had to get over the feeling of being anxious and scared.

"I'll be with you the whole time." Tidus brushed his lips softly over Yuna's in a sweet embrace. "When this is over we can go back to being happy together." Yuna smiled at the thought of returning to Besaid and living quietly on her little island with Tidus there beside her. No cares would trouble them and worries plague them, and her dreams would be only of the man she loved. She dearly wanted to escape to that life at that moment instead of entering a situation that could end in the harm of her loved ones. But, she was Lady Yuna, the High Summoner and a Sphere Hunter of the Gullwings, and she would save Zanarkand no matter what was in her way.

Yuna kissed Tidus once more before turning back towards the sky. As she looked at it, her eyes fixed on a cluster of shapes that were steadily drawing closer.

"We're almost there," she whispered soundlessly into the wind as Tidus grabbed onto her hand and squeezed it tightly. The door of the deck opened once more, this time Rikku walked out and up to Yuna and Tidus standing there. She looked at them and then at the ruins ahead.

"Ready?" she said turning back to her cousin. Yuna nodded as she looked at Rikku and grabbed onto her hand too.

"Ready."

_End of Part 7_

So…there you go! A bit odd, I know! But I hope that you are all now informed on what is going to happen. Please, super please, tell me if this chapter is too choppy or too pompous sounding. My mom told me once that I wrote like I had a stick up my butt! Sometimes, this is true! I admit my faults! But hey, everyone has their own style and little quirks that help with that! Hehe…anyways…I would really appreciate if you told me anything you have to say! So, I hope you liked that and you want to go on! The next parts might be a bit bumpy, because this idea is actually pretty old and the particulars are starting to fade just a bit! But I'll get out all my old planning and little notes here and there and seriously devote myself to getting this done! Again thanks for all the reviews! R&R! Bye bye…


End file.
